[CVerse] Black Canvas Grappling: Defenders of Puroresu

DarK_RaideR · August 1, 2018

<div style="text-align:center;">BCG The Survivor Tour

Thursday, W1 of June 2016

Matsumoto Hall, Tohoku

Attendance: 191</div>

In a bout that had decent wrestling but didn't have much heat, Partnership Of Pain defeated Shiga & Miyake in 10:30 when Rokuemon Matsushita defeated Motoyuki Miyake by pinfall with an One-Handed Choke Slam.

Rating: D

Comments: Matsushita's really coming to his own in terms of in-ring ability, this time trying his hand at a few basic splashes and sentons to improve his Flying skills. Brody too seems to be growing next to him, sharpening his Performance skills even if his consistency needs more work as he was really off his game here.

In a decent match, Yoshinaka Taku defeated Naonobu Murakami in 15:42 by pinfall with a Full Nelson Bomb.

Rating: C

Comments: Taku and Murakami's styles mesh so well in the ring it was a real joy seeing them trade blows. Fans really came alive watching this bout and Taku scored a major win over the veteran after clearly beating him on grounds of sheer wrestling ability throughout he match.

In a bout that had good wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Funakoshi defeated Noritoshi Miura in 20:58 by pinfall with a Butterfly Backbreaker.

Rating: B-

Comments: A somewhat disappointing performance from Miura here, his psychology was all over the place leaving Funakoshi to carry him throughout the match. With Yoshinaka Taku's recent string of performances, Miura may find himself behind in the race to the top, lest he gets his act together pretty soon.

Show Rating: C-

Comments: Another good show, another batch of new fans. The real question is how much longer BCG can survive running 3 weekly tour shows when attendances have hit rock bottom.

DarK_RaideR · August 1, 2018

<div style="text-align:center;">BCG The Survivor Tour

Saturday, W1 of June 2016

Muroran Hall, Hokkaido

Attendance: 165</div>

In a bout that had decent wrestling but didn't have much heat, Hitomaro Suzuki defeated Yoshisada Matsuzawa in 12:14 by submission with a Suzuki Lock.

Rating: D+

Comments: Another win for Suzuki in this show's opener, another case where Matsuzawa was the better wrestler but still lost the match. BCG Creative will certainly have to re-assess the push of these two once the Survivor show is over, especially Matsuzawa who seems to be criminally underutilized.

In a decent match, Sofu Ozawa defeated Toshinobu Taku in 5:40 by pinfall with an Arm-Trap Belly To Back Suplex.

Rating: D

Comment: Despite their advanced age, Ozawa and Taku know how to put together a captivating match still. Keeping it short to protect themselves and give fans a breather before the main event, the veterans kept the flow of the show before clearing the stage for the stars of today.

In a decent match, Bunrakuken Torii defeated Yoshinaka Taku in 21:02 by pinfall with a Spinning Forearm Smash.

Rating: C-

Comments: It's a shame these two don't seem to click in the ring, as they are both young, on the rise, immensely talented and loyal to BCG. That's not to say the match itself was bad, but it was not as good as most had hoped. Still, Torii picked up the win and showcased his hunger to get back on top thanks to a mix of Technical and Performance skills he's been working on.

Show Rating: D

Comments: Despite the wrench thrown in the main event gears, the show still fared well enough to earn BCG new fans in Hokkaido.

DarK_RaideR · August 1, 2018

<div style="text-align:center;">BCG The Survivor Tour

Sunday, W1 of June 2016

Kochi Halls, Shikoku

Attendance: 109</div>

In a bout that had decent wrestling but didn't have much heat, American Demolition Mk.II defeated Shiga & Miyake in 10:13 when Bulldozer Brandon Smith defeated Motoyuki Miyake by pinfall with a Backdrop Driver.

Rating: D

Comments: This time Shiga and Miyake faced the current tag team champions and to no one's surprise, Smith and Harker won the match after pinning the young lion. For all his team's chemistry, Shiga was still obviously having a night off, while on the opposite end it was Smith who carried the match while Harker's Performance skills were apparently improved by the end of the bout.

In a poor match, Noritoshi Miura defeated Naozane Goto in 9:31 by pinfall with a Storm Rider.

Rating: D-

Comments: An awkward bout, with Goto dominating most of it but running out of steam before the end, an opening Miura capitalized on to hit him with the Storm Rider and get the win despite having spent most of the match on the defensive.

In a bout that had good wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Funakoshi defeated Omezo Shikitei in 21:24 by pinfall with a Butterfly Backbreaker.

Rating: C

Comments: Quite the test for Shikitei here, who put up a decent performance to keep Funakoshi trying for twenty or so minutes in a rather slow paced technical match. The champion carried Shikitei through most of it, greatly outshining him in terms of skill between the ropes, before hitting him with his finisher for the win.

Show Rating: D

Comments: Having run out of options and with limited funds to give everyone enough time in the ring, BCG have started to book unusual combinations of talent, resulting in the occasional odd match. Still, largely thanks to Funakoshi's performance here, the show was good enough to convert fans in the area and expand the promotion's fanbase.

DarK_RaideR · August 1, 2018

<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="PQQ9EF2.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/PQQ9EF2.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> BCG The Survivor</div> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="45613" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">BCG World title match: Funakoshi vs Bunrakuken Torii 15 Man Battle Royal (Two men start in the ring, with more joining in timed intervals. Eliminations can only occur via pinfall or submission) BCG World Tag Team match: American Demolition Mk.II vs Team Taku Kiyotaka, Shuzo Utagawa & Kyuichi Matsumoto vs Eikichi Itou, Gidayu Katou & MUSCLE Serizawa</div></div></blockquote>

John Lions · August 1, 2018

Enjoying you grind and penny-pinch your way through the effects to the Tsunami, best of luck to you. Hopefully some of the big dogs have to cut loose some talent and you can get a couple new promising guys thrown into the mix.

BCG World title match: Funakoshi vs Bunrakuken Torii

Don't see any way the champ loses

15 Man Battle Royal (Two men start in the ring, with more joining in timed intervals. Eliminations can only occur via pinfall or submission) Hitomaru Suzuki

Tough call without seeing the competitors, but looking through the past tours I couldn't find anyone who was "obviously" a guy who could use a big rub. I was also thinking Sharaku Okimasa might win this, but I think you go with Suzuki.

BCG World Tag Team match: American Demolition Mk.II vs Team Taku

Same reasoning as the main title match. Only way I see them losing is if Bulldozer was poached, but I think that's unlikely due to the economy and industry in shambles

Kiyotaka, Shuzo Utagawa & Kyuichi Matsumoto vs Eikichi Itou, Gidayu Katou & MUSCLE Serizawa

I believe these are all young lions, I'll give the edge to team Katou since he is phenomenal, and I like MUSCLE Serizawa as well

siah463 · August 2, 2018

BCG World title match: Funakoshi vs Bunrakuken Torii

15 Man Battle Royal: Noritoshi Miura

BCG World Tag Team match: American Demolition Mk.II vs Team Taku

Kiyotaka, Shuzo Utagawa & Kyuichi Matsumoto vs Eikichi Itou, Gidayu Katou & MUSCLE Serizawa

Rhyme1234 · August 2, 2018

BCG World title match: Funakoshi vs Bunrakuken Torii

15 Man Battle Royal (Two men start in the ring, with more joining in timed intervals. Eliminations can only occur via pinfall or submission) Hitormaru Suzuki

BCG World Tag Team match: American Demolition Mk.II vs Team Taku

Kiyotaka, Shuzo Utagawa & Kyuichi Matsumoto vs Eikichi Itou, Gidayu Katou & MUSCLE Serizawa

DarK_RaideR · August 2, 2018

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="John Lions" data-cite="John Lions" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="45613" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Enjoying you grind and penny-pinch your way through the effects to the Tsunami, best of luck to you. Hopefully some of the big dogs have to cut loose some talent and you can get a couple new promising guys thrown into the mix.</div></blockquote> Thanks, to think at first I wasn't sure if I should post the tour matches or not at all! Only played Japan a couple of other times and it was always with a Regional or smaller promotion so I wasn't that affected that bad. The real problem for BCG is the Regional war penalties and popularity losses, since everyone else competing is a member of the New Japan Movement and thus not hurting each other that way! ETA: Writing out the Rumble might take a while, plus it's summer, so it may be a while till I post the show.

Hashasheen · August 2, 2018

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="DarK_RaideR" data-cite="DarK_RaideR" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="45613" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Thanks, to think at first I wasn't sure if I should post the tour matches or not at all! Only played Japan a couple of other times and it was always with a Regional or smaller promotion so I wasn't that affected that bad. The real problem for BCG is the Regional war penalties and popularity losses, since everyone else competing is a member of the New Japan Movement and thus not hurting each other that way! </div></blockquote> I'm of many minds regarding it and it's usually in relation to how I want to present it in the traditional Japanese fashion. Which is to say, online, newspapers, television and video. A lot of modern Japanese promotions put stuff online, either on their own streaming service (too expensive) or specific sites like their company websites or an affiliated tv channel or something else. So in those cases, you can make a case for showing every match on the tour in an update. Second is newspapers, which usually has either an interview or an article about a title change or big match or feud. Simple and easy to the point, but historically the best way to get something across to a rabid fanbase. Third is television, be it free-to-air, PPV or otherwise. Not everyone gets television, and it's actually something of note that CVERSE is much harder in this regard than IRL, where even smaller indies can get spotshows up on GAORA TV, Samurai TV or a syndication station. Television time sort of merges the above two segments, where you can have a full show shown, a clip show, interviews, etc... Fourth is video. Video is basically dead these days outside of stuff like VKF Puroresu, but it used to be a major way to trade tapes and get access to dark shows. In the case of CVERSE this still seems to be important for dark promotions, and videos used to feature multiple shows in clip format. So, what does all the above mean for me? It means whenever I'm booking BCG I'm usually trying to take into account that most of it will be clipped for highlight reels, barring the big matches and maybe something that outperformed. BCG is for me very old school and I try to evoke feelings of catch wrestling, sumo and ZERO-1, with a strong core of "dojo purebloods" trying to jump over each other while also dealing with a rotating core of freelancers (aka, anybody not loyal is on touring no matter what). I treat the titles as more like trophies defining the best singles or tag team wrestlers (with the Challenger Series exclusively for freelancers to stick around longer than a tour), and use stables as camps in an MMA fashion for whenever I need a tag team match. This means that title matches are rarer, maybe happening once a month or every two months. It also creates suspense for the tournaments (which don't feature the top BCG guys), which flood the company with fresh faces as I rotate out the freelancers and is the only way for said freelancers to challenge for the World titles. It's not quite "Four Heavenly Pillars traveling the King's Road" in AJPW, but it does make things a lot more interesting to treat things like a manga dojo system instead of a typical touring promotion.

DarK_RaideR · August 5, 2018

<div style="text-align:center;">Black Canvas Grappling presents

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BCG The Survivor 2

Friday, W2 of June 2016

Ibaraki Community Hall, Kanto

Attendance: 1.000 (sold out)

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Kiyotaka, Shuzo Utagawa & Kyuichi Matsumoto vs Eikichi Itou, Gidayu Katou & MUSCLE Serizawa</div>

A solid 3 on 3 young lion opener to kick off the show, pitting the bigger and stronger trio of Itou, Katou and Serizawa against the experience of Kiyotaka, technical prowess of Utagawa and Matsumoto's aggressive style. To be fair, Utagawa looked rather toned in his appearance here, having shed some weight while Katou had some improved Performance skills to show for himself. Everyone had their moment in the sun to get some offense in and fire up the crowd, until Katou hit his Lariat on Matsumoto for the pin to end it.

In a bout that had sub-par wrestling and little heat, Eikichi Itou, Gidayu Katou and MUSCLE Serizawa defeated Kiyotaka, Shuzo Utagawa and Kyuichi Matsumoto in 9:44 when Gidayu Katou defeated Kyuichi Matsumoto by pinfall with a Lariat.

Rating: D-

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BCG World Tag Team titles match

American Demolition Mk.II vs Team Taku</div>

It's hard to take Animal Harker as a legitimate threat with that green chin beard of his, but he insists on keeping it as it works for the simpleton character he plays in NYCW, so in a genious twist of improved Performance skill, he apparently found a way to emphasize instead of underplay that element in order to rile up the Japanese crowds. Next to him, Bulldozer Brandon Smith was of course the one who did the heavy lifting for the defending champions, but he too apparently was inspired to take things further than usual, showing great agility for his size when he hit some new Flying moves to both impress the fans and gain himself some cheap heat by insulting BCG's "oldschool" ground based wrestling style. For all their flash and swag, the seemed to be taking their opponents lightly; frankly, between an aging Toshinobu Taku and a somewhat "off" Yoshinaka Taku, it looked as though they could afford the luxury, but the ever dangerous Yoshi Taku still found a way to isolate Harker for the Taku Tag Treatment and pin him to reclaim the belts for himself and his father.

In a bout that had decent wrestling and but didn't have much heat, Team Taku defeated American Demolition Mk.II in 10:59 when Yoshinaka Taku defeated Animal Harker by pinfall with a Taku Tag Treatment. Team Taku win the BCG World Tag Team titles.

Rating: D+

<div style="text-align:center;">15 Man Battle Royal

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Masayuki Shiga, Naozane Goto, Sharaku Okimasa and Motoyuki Miyake were the opening quartet for this year's Survivor Royal Rumble. Predictably enough, Goto found himself repelling the combined attacks of his three opponents once the opening bell rang, an opening exchange that went back and forth until it was time for the first addition to the match.

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Returning from injury just in time for the show, Blast Ikoma made his triumphant entrance to a roaring reaction from the fans. Adding an exclamation point to his big moment, Ikoma hit the ring and grabbed Okimasa from behind for an explosive release suplex, before Shiga and Miyake cashed in on their experience teaming together to chain a sequence of alternating moves leading to a Deadlift German and the pin from the veteran. There was little time for celebration though, as Ikoma immediately caught an unaware and inexperienced Miyake with the Northern Lights Bomb to pin and eliminate him, while Goto kept Shiga from intervening to break it up.

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Ikoma's celebration was also cut short though, as the next man joining the three in the ring was Giant Brody, the man who shelved him with an injury in the first place. With Goto still busy working on Shiga, Ikoma had the ring to himself, inviting Brody in for a thunderous exchange of chops back and forth.

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</div>

Kadonomaro Kamisaka joined the fray next, adding little to the mix at first as he took his time to assess the situation between the all-too-personal Brody/Ikoma exchange and the massive Goto trying to eliminate the veteran Shiga. Yoriie Ippitsusai also entered the ring not long after, locking up with the only available opponent in Kamisaka only for him to tap out to "Serene K"'s Triangle Choke moments later. It took the addition of Rokuemon Matsushita to really shake things up, as the big man teamed up with his regular partner Brody to throw Ikoma out of the ring, before their combined size and power lead to the Powers of Pain eliminating Goto first and a worn down Shiga second.

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Down to four men once again, Brody and Matsushita turned their attention to Kamisaka, but the scrappy brawler had enough fight in him to hold his own ground against the two giants, at least until another body could be added to the scuffle.

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Yoshisada Matsuzawa teased picking on the damaged Ikoma, but his plan backfired when his target had a rush of adrenaline to catch him by surprise with an exploder suplex, before rolling him into the ring and joining the fray himself. Fed up with Kamisaka who just wouldn't stay down, the Powers of Pain turned their attention to the newcomer Matsuzawa, leaving Ikoma and Kamisaka to slug it out before Ikoma exploded in another of his usual bursts to eliminate Kamisaka after hitting him with a Brainbuster suplex. Omezo Shikitei entered the ring by then, joining Matsuzawa against the two big men, with Ikoma assisting them once he was done pinning Kamisaka. The three on two assault paid off and although Matsuzawa kicked out of both Matsuzawa and Shikitei piling up on top of him, Ikoma was able to keep Brody down for the three count and at least prevent the two monsters from working together.

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Singled out as the biggest threat by this point, Matsushita struggled against everyone else teaming up against him, but to his credit, he did a much better job than Goto or Brody before him, even rolling out of the ring once felled to avoid the pin. With the main threat gone, the remaining three men turned on each other and the exchange saw Ikoma get the better of it: after barely dodging a roundhouse kick from a somewhat sloppy Shikitei who fell victim to a rookie error, Matsuzawa got kicked in the face, allowing Ikoma to catch Shikitei with the Northern Lights Bomb and take him out of the match, just in time as the countdown signalled the arrival of the next man.

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It was veteran time by then, with Naonobu Murakami first and Sofu Ozawa after a while coming into the match. Murakami showed no fear as he went straight for Ikoma, though a recovered Matsushita broke it up with a running double lariat, before he himself falling victim to a sneak attack from behind by Matsuzawa. This was the perfect setup for the incoming Ozawa to mount the fallen giant and apply his submission holds on his legs while Matsuzawa did the same on Matsushita's neck area, forcing him to tap out. Down to four again, the battle lines between generations were already drawn and after a brief staredown to let fans realize what was going on, Ikoma and Matsuzawa charged to meet Murakami and Ozawa in the middle of the ring.

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With no apparent winners in the striking contest, Noritoshi Miura entered the match and soon found himself caught in the middle, as the other four took turns chopping the chest of the fresher newcomer.

<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="tfcFhGn.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/tfcFhGn.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div>Hitomaro Suzuki has been getting a slight reputation as a man who seems to be slightly favored by the powers that be in BCG and apparently this was played to, as he was the final entrant at number fifteen. Suzuki went for the two veterans, taking out their base with stiff kicks to the shins, before catching Ozawa in the Suzuki Lock. Murakami broke it up before Ozawa could tap out, but his reward for it was Matsuzawa's Double Arm DDT and a pin. Ozawa was barely able to get up himself, before Miura hit the Storm Rider on him for another elimination, bring the match down to its "final four"

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It was an interesting setup. Ikoma felt like the 'true' survivor, having been in this match from almost its beginning and being fresh back from injury. Matsuzawa had wrestled for the second half of the match and most of his act had been about being a sneaky opportunist. Miura and Suzuki were both fresh as the final two additions and certainly dangerous opponents, as evidenced recently by their appearances in the Yoshifusa Maeda Grand Prix and onwards. Ikoma was the first to fall, finally giving in to exhaustion and an inhuman amount of punishment, as evidenced by the fact that he had to take both a Storm Rider and a Double Arm DDT before he tapped out to the Suzuki Lock. Seeing how this tactic worked out, Matsuzawa had no qualms about repeating it, as he caught a recovering Suzuki with the Double Arm DDT before signalling to Miura to hit his own finisher and offering him Suzuki on a silver platter for the pin. So in the end, it came down to Matsuzawa and Miura. Two men who had proven themselves so far in the first half of the year but had nothing to show for it; one of them would change that by the end of the night, taking home the coveted Survivor trophy and a chance to face the BCG World champion at The Lion Rises in August. Their bout also evidenced a significant difference between them: Miura is a strong brawler, but pretty one-sided in a rather 'Western' fashion as opposed to Matsuzawa who was able to not only switch between classic strikes and puroresu strong style, but also combine those two in devastating sequences. It was one of them that decided the match eventually, with Matsuzawa following up a thunderous knee to the gut with a Double Arm DDT for the pin and victory.

In a bout that had decent wrestling and but didn't have much heat, Yoshisada Matsuzawa won a 15 Man Lottery Mayhem in 60:18. The other members of the 'final four' were Noritoshi Miura, Blast Ikoma and Hitomaro Suzuki, with Noritoshi Miura being the final elimination. Blast Ikoma managed to record both the most eliminations and the longest survival time. Yoshisada Matsuzawa wins the BCG Survivor match.

Rating: C-

<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="z1BMAzy.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/z1BMAzy.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

BCG The Survivor 2 Winner

<img alt="mR1hQ6m.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/mR1hQ6m.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

Yoshisada Matsuzawa

<img alt="sz24Eba.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/sz24Eba.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

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BCG World title match

Funakoshi vs Bunrakuken Torii</div>

Royal Rumbles are always long and exciting matches, so Funakoshi and Torii had the herculean task of topping this one for the main event, a task made harder by the fact that the Rumble is the show's defining match. Still, BCG officials showed they hold nothing in higher esteem than the promotion's main title, making this match the main event. From the outcome, it seems they were right to do so, or at least the two competitors proved them right with the bout they put up, a rematch from their clash a month earlier at Test of Champions, where the winner of the 2016 Yoshifusa Maeda Grand Prix defeated Torii to win the title. It's hard to tell which of the two matches was the better one, though upon closer inspection one would notice that Torii seemed to be somewhat off his game in this one. Perhaps that was also the reason why the match took about ten minutes less than the original to wrap up, though the outcome was once again the same, with Funakoshi winning to retain the gold.

In a bout that had superb wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Funakoshi defeated Bunrakuken Torii in 21:07 by pinfall with a Butterfly Backbreaker.

Rating: B

Show Rating: C-

Comments: BCG took a risk holding this show outside their home region of Kinki, but apparently it paid off as they ended up winning new fans in the all-important Kanto region. The smaller venue was sold out despite all the issues in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster and both the Rumble and the main event delivered, even if the audience was a bit burned out after one hour of the former. Smaller issues like Torii being a tad sloppy and the ever-present Production Value problem held back the show further, but it was a good one overall and fans alredy seem intrigued enough to see Funakoshi defend the title against Matsuzawa at BCG The Lion Rises in August.

DarK_RaideR · August 8, 2018

<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="sFlfWPy.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/sFlfWPy.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="3nSIDdW.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/3nSIDdW.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div>

With our Survivor show for 2016 in the books, it was time to meet again with my good friend Yoshifusa Maeda. Who just so happened to also be my boss. The monthly break was coming up before the buildup to our big three "Lion" shows so there was much to discuss, even though the dust hadn't yet settled from the Survivor.

"I must admit, it was a Rumble well put together" Maeda said triumphantly as he entered the office and went to make himself comfortable on an armchair. "Ikoma-san's return, especially. You had us all fooled for a moment there, really thought he'd go all the way and win it."

"That was the idea" I said without trying to mask my satisfaction. Even he had bought it. "Honestly, any of the final four could have won it and it would make sense. They're all one step away from making it and this could be their launching pad."

Maeda nodded. "But you chose Matsuzawa-san. Why?"

So I had him not only surprised, but intrigued. "He's been putting on great performances, consistently too, but his win/loss record doesn't reflect that. Thought I'd make amends this way, use him better in the future. Ikoma's already up there, especially once the veterans fade away. He didn't need to win. Miura's been... a little disappointing after the Grand Prix, plus I still don't trust him not to jump ship. As for Suzuki, he's still young. He had his chances, I don't want to push him too hard already."

He took a moment to mull over my arguments. "Fair points, all of them. And good work with all the moving pieces. Young lions, veterans, big men... they all had their moments without getting too exposed. But enough about that, I want to hear what your plans are for our big three shows up next."

I made myself comfortable and braced for his reaction before dropping the bomb.

"I plan to move those, and all our monthly shows, from the second to the fourth Friday of every month."

He was shocked, but he no-sold it as if he was in the ring and about to make his big comeback.

"Why?"

Couldn't resist scratching the back of my head. "If touring months and contracts start on the first day of the month and end on the last day of the month, there's no point having our show in the middle of the month. Touring shows are supposed to build up towards the event. It's fine if we have one scheduled for the next month, but if there's a break, it just doesn't work."

He was looking at me intently, waiting to hear more.

"Look at this year's Grand Prix. The off month killed all the momentum we'd built up, plus we couldn't sell the competitors having piled up the damage as it went on. I don't want to do the same now, then sit July out and resume the build up come August. I'm calling off the shows for the rest of this month and moving the shows to week four of every month"

No reaction. I could only hope he was still paying attention. That he hadn't checked out and already made up his mind to veto my call.

"Stopping here for this month should save us some money too. Also, we need to move the touring shows within the working week, so we don't have any spare ones left after each monthly show."

Still no reaction.

"Booking-wise, World title is easy, we build Matsuzawa up for his title challenge. Challengers, I'm split between Okimasa and Shikitei. Probably gonna go with Okimasa first as the safe bet, give Shikitei some more time to find his footing and sharpen his skills. The one really troubling me is the tag belts. Toshi Taku's nearing retirement and he's dragging his son down. Yoshi's meant to be a main eventer, plus he's loyal to the company. Right now I'm out of challengers. Shiga's teaming with a young lion, even if he scores the pin, they can only hold the titles convincingly for so long. Matsushita and Brody might be better, but they need to be built up more."

Finally, Maeda broke his silence.

"I may be the owner, but you are the booker, my friend. I have decided to trust you."

I wasn't sure if that was well-meant or a veiled threat.

"You put up a good show tonight," he continued. "I believe you can do it again. Don't tell me anything more about your plans. I quite enjoyed being surprised tonight. Made me feel like a young fan again."

I must have looked startstruck. Maeda was enjoying it. I could tell by the smile on his face as he got up from the chair to leave.

"Surprise me"

DarK_RaideR · August 12, 2018

<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="tfcFhGn.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/tfcFhGn.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="stfprsK.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/stfprsK.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

Hitomaro Suzuki, Nobuharu Yokokawa

Jumped ship to BHOTWG.

Due to Yokokawa's departure, the BCG Challengers Series title has been vacated.

<img alt="GVOFAYk.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/GVOFAYk.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="DccXUpR.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/DccXUpR.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="mR1hQ6m.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/mR1hQ6m.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="oKYyc4s.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/oKYyc4s.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="a92CBvx.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/a92CBvx.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="8705zCX.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/8705zCX.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="5gSOwr6.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/5gSOwr6.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

Naonobu Murakami, Sofu Ozawa, Yoshisada Matsuzawa, Noritoshi Miura, Sharaku Okimasa, Omezo Shikitei, Kadonomaro Kamisaka

Jumped ship to GCG.</div>

Freelancer Murakami was nearing the end of his deal anyway, but the loss of much talent and especially Matsuzawa after his coronation as this year's Survivor has certainly thrown BCG management off any long-term plans they may have had.

This will be an interesting three month tour...

Jon The GOAT · August 12, 2018

I know from your perspective it's probably a terrible hitch in your plans but I think it'll be pretty fun to see how you crown a new Challenger Series champion and figure out Funakoshi's challenger. It'll also be a great opportunity to bring in a few new guys without having your roster bloated.

DarK_RaideR · August 12, 2018

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Jon The GOAT" data-cite="Jon The GOAT" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="45613" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I know from your perspective it's probably a terrible hitch in your plans but I think it'll be pretty fun to see how you crown a new Challenger Series champion and figure out Funakoshi's challenger. It'll also be a great opportunity to bring in a few new guys without having your roster bloated.</div></blockquote> Yep. It was only a matter of time before this would happen, which is why I held back from bringing in foreign talent like Austin Smooth too early. My only regret is having Matsuzawa win the Rumble instead of a BCG Loyalist. On the bright side, GCG just keep bloating their payroll with all these predatory signings, so I can only hope it brings them one step closer to bankruptcy in the immediate post-tsunami era <img alt=";)" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/wink.png.686f06e511ee1fbf6bdc7d82f6831e53.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> P.S. Apologies for being too lazy to write out another Maeda-Yoshizawa segment about the talent raid. Plus, it didn't feel right to have two of those in a row.

siah463 · August 12, 2018

Man, that's a lot of guys lost but I can't wait to see how you adjust your plans.

Hashasheen · August 12, 2018

Man, that is awesome to see. Obviously you are regretting the push, but with the tsunami coming this is the perfect time to get a cheap and temporary undercard.

John Lions · August 12, 2018

I second that it's pretty awesome to see the huge raid you get to deal with. It hurts of course but not as much as a storyline-heavy promotion as you can always go "next man up". Honestly not upset to lose many of those names myself other than Hitomaru Suzuki and Omezo Shikitei.

Hashasheen · August 13, 2018

Yeah, Hitomaro Suzuki is the only one I'd miss. He's already a great talent and has been since like 2005. The rest, eh. You can easily replace them with gaijin for a while. Guys like Kalu Owusu would fit in very well in the interim period as heavyweight challengers, and of course there's Austin Smooth, Ray Snow, Pavel Vanzcheya, Sterling Whitlock, Irwin Gutmann, Ricky Turner, the Good Ol' Boys, Ring Generals, etc...

It's more natives one has to worry about when getting raided. You can pick up a few from GCG, like Eagle Kawasawa and Shingen Miyazaki. Sotatsu Sarumaru and Strong Style Yoemon are a great stop-gap. But Suzuki... man, he's one of my favorites. If Funakoshi wasn't around, I'd have pegged him as the ace of BCG back when 2013 came out.

DarK_RaideR · August 13, 2018

<div style="text-align:center;">BCG The Lion Rises Tour

Tuesday, W1 of August 2016

Fukuoka Hall, Kyushu

Attendance: 157</div>

In a poor match, Masayuki Shiga & Motoyuki Miyake defeated Toshinobu Taku and Eikichi Itou in 10:15 when Motoyuki Miyake defeated Eikichi Itou by pinfall with a Knock Out Kick.

Rating: D-

Comments: The master and apprentice duo of Shiga and Miyake are back at it again, kicking off the show and tour with a victory over one half of the BCG World Tag Team champions and youngster Itou in a solid match that had the audience fired up for the main course.

In a bout that had decent wrestling but didn't have much heat, Kalu Owusu defeated Gidayu Katou in 9:49 by pinfall with a Lariat Clothesline.

Rating: D+

Comments: Gidayu Katou put up a solid performance here, showing an improved grasp on his Rumble skills but ultimately falling to new gaijin import Kalu Owusu, a man who hasn't been seen in Japan since the days of Kikkawa's MMA-infulenced INSPIRE promotion.

In a decent match, Bunrakuken Torii defeated Yoshinaka Taku in 20:58 by pinfall with a Spinning Forearm Smash.

Rating: C-

Comments: Despite the documented bad chemistry between Torii and Yoshi Taku, booking plans forced them to clash in this show's main event regardless. To their credit, they both have the skills to deliver a great match and with the bar already set low in Kyushu, the duo had no problem in keeping the main event together.

Show Rating: D

Comments: Between the post-tsunami economy crash and now having three weekly tour shows, BCG did not make the move to upgrade their inferior Production Values, but they still deliver shows good enough to earn them new fans, like this one did for them.

DarK_RaideR · August 13, 2018

<div style="text-align:center;">BCG The Lion Rises Tour

Wednesday, W1 of August 2016

Doshisha Athetic Center, Kinki

Attendance: 514</div>

In a poor match, Partnership Of Pain defeated Yoriie Ippitsusai and MUSCLE Serizawa in 9:34 when Giant Brody defeated MUSCLE Serizawa by pinfall with a Single Handed Choke Slam.

Rating: D

Comments: With Giant Brody returning to Japan, the Partnership of Pain was reunited and started to pick up momentum with this first win over veteran Ippitsusai and young lion Serizawa. Despite Brody scoring the pin, it was Matsushita that kept the match together here, outshining even the experienced but physically limited Ippitsusai.

In a poor match, Quick Kick Nakao defeated Shuzo Utagawa in 9:31 by pinfall with a Double Footed Stomp.

Rating: D-

Comments: Another newcomer to BCG for this tour, Quick Kick Nakao had a chance to showcase what he can do by chopping down youngster Utagawa in a barely watchable bout that could have been kept shorter than it was.

In a bout that had great wrestling and good heat, Funakoshi defeated Blast Ikoma in 22:09 by pinfall with a Butterfly Backbreaker.

Rating: B-

Comments: Apparently there is no such thing as a bad or even mediocre Funakoshi match, even if Ikoma didn't quite deliver here. The reigning BCG World champion carried Ikoma to a great main event, saving the night for the promotion in the all-important region of Kanto.

Show Rating: D+

Comments: Aided by a great main event, the show earned BCG some new fans in the Kanto area despite Production Value penalties and an underwhelming undercard.

DarK_RaideR · August 13, 2018

<div style="text-align:center;">BCG The Lion Rises Tour

Thursday, W1 of August 2016

Shizuoka Sports Hall, Chubu

Attendance: 300 (sold out)</div>

In a bout that had decent wrestling but didn't have much heat, Masayuki Shiga & Motoyuki Miyake defeated Eikichi Itou and Bunrakuken Torii in 10:03 when Motoyuki Miyake defeated Eikichi Itou by pinfall with a Glittering Magician.

Rating: D+

Comments: Another victory for Shiga & Miyake here, over Itou again but this time paired with Bunrakuken Torii who did most of the heavy lifting for their team. Miyake once again confirmed the buzz around his name is justified when he not only won the match, but also showed improvement in his Performance skills and a new modified Shining Wizard finisher he calls the 'Glittering Magician'.

In a bout that had decent wrestling but didn't have much heat, American Demolition Mk.II defeated Naozane Goto and Kyuichi Matsumoto in 9:50 when Animal Harker defeated Kyuichi Matsumoto by pinfall with a Stump Piledriver.

Rating: D

Comments: Another tag team making their return for this tour, American Demolition Mk.II won their first match against young lions Goto and Matsumoto who were way in over their league, Goto especially who at this stage of his career can do little more than demolish jobbers in super short squash matches.

In a decent match, Kalu Owusu defeated Yoshinaka Taku in 21:09 by pinfall with a Lariat Clothesline.

Rating: C-

Comments: BCG took a chance on Kalu Owusu here, giving him the main event spot and the victory over Yoshinaka Taku, even if he had to fight extremely hard for it. Apparently Owusu is being built up as an unstoppable MMA machine, but whether that will lead to him also having great matches with top-tier talent is still questionable after this bout that certainly wasn't up to par with the ones Funakoshi or Torii usually have.

Show Rating: D-

Comments: With all the usual problems of Production Values and an unspectacular undercard, this show was further plagued by a mediocre main event, in an area where fans expect more out of the promotion nonetheless. While the show was not exciting enough to convert any new Chubu fans to the Black Lion, at least it was good enough to prevent the existing fanbase in the region from diminishing.

DarK_RaideR · August 13, 2018

<div style="text-align:center;">BCG The Lion Rises Tour

Tuesday, W2 of August 2016

Shimonoseki Hall, Hokkaido

Attendance: 152</div>

In a bout that had sub-par wrestling and little heat, Kiyotaka defeated Shuzo Utagawa in 10:26 by submission with a Kimura.

Rating: D-

Comments: This show opened with a singles bout between young lions and the more experienced one in Kiyotaka winning. Nothing to write home about, but still good enough to get the show off the right foot.

In a poor match, Quick Kick Nakao defeated Toshinobu Taku in 6:13 by pinfall with a Double Footed Stomp.

Rating: E+

Comments: A second misfire for Quick Kick Nakao, despite his apparent improvement as far as his Rumble skills go. The newcomer defeated Toshi Taku in just over six minutes before the veteran's age was able to become a factor, but what did become one was the fact these two don't seem to click, making for an awkward bout between them that fortunately didn't last long.

In a bout that had good wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Funakoshi defeated Blast Ikoma in 23:06 by pinfall with a Butterfly Backbreaker.

Rating: B-

Comments: Again raising some questions as far as his main event performance goes, Ikoma seemed a tad off his game, meaning Funakoshi once again had to carry him to twenty or so minutes, delivering yet another beautiful bout.

Show Rating: D+

Comments: Hokkaido's becoming quite the hotspot for wrestling in Japan and BCG are well aware, taking no risks this time and coming away with more fans than they went in.

DarK_RaideR · August 13, 2018

<div style="text-align:center;">BCG The Lion Rises Tour

Wednesday, W2 of August 2016

Matsumoto Hall, Tohoku

Attendance: 187</div>

In a poor match, Masayuki Shiga & Motoyuki Miyake defeated Yoriie Ippitsusai and MUSCLE Serizawa in 9:38 when Motoyuki Miyake defeated MUSCLE Serizawa by submission with an Armbar #128.

Rating: D-

Comments: Another victory for Shiga & Miyake over Ippitsusai and a young lion, this time it was MUSCLE Serizawa. Showing the variety in his arsenal and a smart mind against his more powerful opponent, Miyake went technical for this one, winning via submission once he got Serizawa into an Armbar.

In a bout that had sub-par wrestling and little heat, Kalu Owusu defeated Gidayu Katou in 9:43 by pinfall with a Lariat Clothesline.

Rating: D

Comments: Big man Katou squared off against Owusu, paying his dues as he put over the Ivorian import. Prone to several rookie mistakes, Katou had a terrible night in terms of consistency, he was however carried to a watchable match by the veteran Owusu who took the chance in order to showcase some sharpened Performance and even Flying skills.

In a decent match, Bunrakuken Torii defeated Rokuemon Matsushita in 20:57 by pinfall with a Spinning Forearm Smash.

Rating: C-

Comments: Matsushita is a big man and that's bound to limit his stamina and abilities in a long singles match, so this one saw him heavily protected and the pace kept slow, yet he still was gassed by the end of it. With Torii being somewhat off his game, the main event wasn't everything it could have been, yet still made for an entertaining match nonetheless.

Show Rating: D

Comments: BCG seems willing to take calculate risks and try out new things in areas where its popularity is limited, knowing the bar is low enough for them to live with any shortcomings. This was the case here, especially as far as the main event goes, yet somehow everything was good enough to get the word out and win the promotion some new fans in the Tohoku area.

DarK_RaideR · August 13, 2018

<div style="text-align:center;">BCG The Lion Rises Tour

Thursday, W2 of August 2016

Muroran Hall, Hokkaido

Attendance: 192</div>

In a terrible match, Naozane Goto defeated Eikichi Itou in 9:58 by pinfall with a Goto Slam.

Rating: E-

Comments: Goto was given a singles shot in the show's opener, crushing fellow young lion Eikichi Itou in just under ten minutes, yet still barely managing to get the crowd involved. The former sumoka obviously lacks both the stamina and moveset variety for a match that long, plus both youngsters still need to work on their in-ring psychology as their match had a noticable lack of flow in the middle that caused it to drag.

In a decent match, Blast Ikoma defeated Toshinobu Taku in 10:01 by pinfall with a Northern Lights Bomb.

Rating: D

Comments: Doing relatively better away from the main event spotlight, Ikoma defeated Toshi Taku in ten or so minutes, going toe to toe with the veteran in a hotly contested and rather open match.

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Funakoshi defeated Yoshinaka Taku in 21:10 by pinfall with a Butterfly Backbreaker.

Rating: B-

Comments: Funakoshi and Yoshi Taku may just be the second best matchup BCG can deliver right now, just under Torii and Funakoshi. The 24 year old one half of the tag champs was having a very bad night, yet his skill between the ropes is undeniable, to the point where he even showed glimpses of upgraded Technical and Performance skills despite ultimately falling to the World champion.

Show rating: D+

Comments: Another show in Hokkaido and another round of new fans for BCG as they continue to build up towards their annual 'holy trinity' of shows.

DarK_RaideR · August 13, 2018

<div style="text-align:center;">BCG The Lion Rises Tour

Tuesday, W3 of August 2016

Gunma Hall, Kanto

Attendance: 184</div>

In a poor match, Partnership Of Pain defeated Quick Kick Nakao and Shuzo Utagawa in 9:40 when Giant Brody defeated Shuzo Utagawa by pinfall with a Wicked Big Foot.

Rating: D

Comments: Relegated to tag match openers, Quick Kick Nakao apparently got the memo and even showed some improved Performance skills to couple his teammate's sharpened Rumble ones, though none was as good between the ropes as Rokuemon Matsushita, who also had some improvement to show for himself as far as Technical and Performance skills go, even if it was Brody again who scored the pin in the end.

In a bout that had decent wrestling but didn't have much heat, American Demolition Mk.II defeated Masayuki Shiga & Motoyuki Miyake in 9:33 when Bulldozer Brandon Smith defeated Motoyuki Miyake by pinfall with a Tombstone Piledriver.

Rating: D

Comments: Shiga & Miyake's run came to an end at the hands of American Demolition Mk.II and it kind of made sense, since Miyake was the only young lion in that match. Animal Harker has obviously updated his Rumble skills and moves and with Smith keeping the match together, the gaijin picked up a much deserved win here.

In a bout that had good wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Bunrakuken Torii defeated Kalu Owusu in 21:29 by pinfall with a Spinning Forearm Smash.

Rating: C+

Comments: Once again given a spot in the main event but this time against ring general Torii, Owusu put up a solid performance in a match that was kept slow and methodical to prevent the 39 year old Ivorian from exhausting himself. Again, Owusu was good but just not up to par with Torii, who he also ended up losing to.

Show rating: D+

Comments: Another influx of fans for BCG despite their perpetual trouble with inferior Production Values. Kanto is an important region and growing here seems to be one of the promotion's priorities.

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